Verletta White
The Baltimore County Board of Education tonight named BCPS Chief Academic Officer Verletta White interim superintendent.
The vacancy came after current superintendent, S. Dallas Dance, abruptly resigned last month, just one year into his second four-year term. He did not give a reason for leaving and said he did not have another job lined up.
In May of 2016, the school board approved a second four-year contract for Dance that gave him a base salary of $287,800, plus retirement and health benefits, a car and other compensation. That was a 13-percent increase over the base salary he had of $255,000 annually when he started at BCPS in 2012.
Ann Miller, a board member who has often been critical of Dance, said she would vote in favor of White’s nomination but said she was upset about the selection process.
“I am sorely disappointed with the flawed leadership our board leadership has conducted in this interim selection process. But I want to be clear that this is not a reflection on Ms. White. The fault rests entirely with our board, the majority of whom are hiding behind the confidentiality of closed-door meetings,” Miller said.
“Those members of the board owe an apology to Ms. White, to stakeholders who have given input on the process, and to every applicant who had the expectation of a fair opportunity for consideration,” Miller said. “The actions of those members have been misleading and a failure to properly discharge their duty. I am certain that Ms. White’s leadership will exceed that of our board.”
White, moments after being named interim superintendent
Board chair Edward J. Gilliss said that Dance’s resignation forced the board to “act swiftly” to have someone in the interim position by July 1.
“There will be plenty of time for the board to have a complete, national search if they so desire to address a permanent superintentedent,” Gilliss said. “But I am, and I think I speak for everyone here, just so very pleased that we have such a talented person as Verletta White and I have the full confidence that she will be a great leader of our system.”
White, a graduate of BCPS’ Woodlawn High School, began teaching in Baltimore City in 1992 and moved to the county three years later. She moved to administration in 1998. She has a bachelor degree in education from Towson University, a masters in Leadership in Teaching from the College of Notre Dame in Maryland, and she is also a doctoral candidate in Urban Educational Leadership at Morgan State University.
“As an experienced and knowledgeable member of the BCPS system for over 20 years, she will provide continuity and energy to keep our school system strong,” Delegate Steve Lafferty said in a statement.
White’s appointment will begin July 1 and runs through the end of June 2018.